Shaft-coupling.



W. B MILLER.

SHAFT COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I4. I914. I 1,11 901,666. I Patented July 11,1916.

ZSHEETS-SHEET 2.

Memm

WEMZ /e/" SHAFT-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1916..

Application filed October 14, 1914. Serial No. 866,631.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, "WALTER E. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing. at Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Couplings; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the 1nvention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in shaftcouplings, and has for its principal object to provide a coupling whichwill permit a shaft to be easily and quickly repaired in case ofbreakage.

Another object of the invention is to provi de a means for quicklydetaching a driven shaft from a drive shaft in order that the same maybe given any necessary attention.

Still another object of the invention is to eliminate the use ofscrewthreaded bolts in connecting the flanges of the shaft couplings.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forthin the following specifica tion and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a coupler constructed inaccordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is an end view in ele vationthereof, Fig. 3 is a face view of one of the abutting flanges, and, Fig.4 is a detail sectional view taken on line H of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing by characters of reference, the numeral 1designates the drive shaft, while the numeral 2 designates the shaftwhich is to be driven.

Secured to the drive shaft 1 is the coupler half designated-generally bythe numeral 3, which is arranged to cooperate with a similar couplerhalf designated generally by the numeral 4, which is secured to thedriven shaft. Each of these coupler halves comprises the hub 5 havingforme'dthereon the flange 6. The faces of each ofthese flanges aresmoothed off in the usual way and are arranged to abut each other whenthe device is in use. Suitable cover plates designated by the numeral 7are provided and these plates are arranged to be placed between theadjacent faces of the flanges 6 to provide retainers for thebolt-locking means, which will be more fully hereinafter described.

Each of these flanges 6 is provided with a central aperture 8 whichextends entirely through the hub and is arranged to receive the shaftand this flange is also provided with a plurality of apertures 9,through Fig. 3. A suitable slot 10 is also formed in the flange indirect alinement with each of the recesses and the inner ends of theseslots are arranged to communicate therewith.

Slidable in the recesses 11 is the latch member 13 which latch member isprovided with the angular extension 14, which extension projects throughthe slot 10 and beyond the limits of the flange 6 to form a grippingelement by means of which the latch member may be operated. A suitablecoil spring 15 is seated in the recess 11 and is arranged to exertpressure against the latch member 13 to normally force the same towardthe aperture 9 so as to engage the bolt when the same passes through theaperture. The bolt hereinbefore referred to is designated generally bythe numeral 16 and comprises the head 17 having formed thereon the shank18, which shank is provided near the end opposite the head with therecess 19, in which the end of the latch member is arranged to rest.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that in use the flanges aresecured to the respective shafts by keys or in any other suitable mannerand the adjacent faces of the flanges are then brought toward each otheruntil the plates 7 engage each other. The bolts 16 are then passedthrough their respective apertures 9 and when they are in their properposition it will be apparent that the latch member 13 will be forcedoutwardly so as to engage within the notch 19 in the shank of the boltand hold said bolt against movement. Should it be desired to release theshaft, the gripping element 14 of each of the latch members is pulledbackwardly against the force of the spring 11 and it will thus be seenthat the end of the latch member opposite the spring will be drawn fromits position within the notch in the bolt 18 and permit said bolt to beremoved, thereby releasing the flanges and permitting the shafts torotate independently of each other.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that such changesmay be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as will fallwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appendedclaim.

What is claimed is;

A coupling comprising a pair of companio'n coupling members havingpassages therein for the reception of the opposed ends of abuttingshafts and alined transverse openings opening into the forward and rearsides of the coupling members, one of sa1d coupling members having atransverse recess thereln opening into the rearside of the couplingmember and into the transverse opening in the coupling member, the for-Ward face of the mentioned coupling member having a recess thereinextending at right angles to the first-mentioned recess and Copies ofthis patent maybe obtained for the transverse opening and having one endthereof communicating with the first-mentioned recess and the transverseopening, a plate mounted on the said forward face of the coupling memberand closing the recess in the forward face and having an opening thereinregistering with the transverse opening in the coupling member, a springpressed latch operable in the recess in the forward face of the couplingmember and extending into the transverse opening, a manipulating membercarried by the latch and extending through the transverse recess in thecoupling member and a bolt extending through the alined transverseopenings in the coupling members and the plate and having a notchtherein for the reception of the latch so as to prevent displacement ofthe bolt.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER E. MILLER.

VVitne'sses IRA D. MILLER, DAVID B. Hnenns.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. C.

